I was really down yesterday.  I was like this is pointless.  What am i doing with my life, how can I keep doing this, why am I so poor, why do I deal with this uncomfortably crowded long commute each day?  Why am I still writing if I'm not getting anywhere?  Do i even know how to write a screenplay?  Is it a waste of my time?  How will i afford a wedding?  Will i ever be taken seriously as a playwright by the larger theatres?

 

But today I am much more optimistic and i don't feel that way at all.  I like what i wrote this morning.  I think my fringe play will go well.  I got some other stuff coming up.  I can do this.   Good thing I didn't blog about this yesterday, huh?  then you would know I have doubts about the sustainability of my life and writing career.

 

But we dodged that bullet.

http://www.myspace.com/aszym

I read Harry Potter and I have to say I'm really sad to see the series done.  Almost sad enough that I am thinking of starting over from the first book and reading the whole series again.

healthcare

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/23/washington/23health.html?bl&ex=1185422400&en=978813ecc5b84a95&ei=5087%0A

 

"President Bush has threatened to veto what he sees as a huge expansion of the children's health care program, which he describes as a step "down the path to government-run health care for every American." The House measure calls for changes that the administration will probably find even more distasteful, including cuts in Medicare payments to private health plans. "

 

Government-run health care for every American sounds pretty great actually.  Isn't that what most Americans want?

times article

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/23/us/23gitmo.html?pagewanted=1&bl&_r=1&ei=5087%0A&en=978813ecc5b84a95&ex=1185422400

 

"Some lawyers say Colonel Abraham's account — of a hearing procedure that he described as deeply flawed and largely a tool for commanders to rubber-stamp decisions they had already made — may have played an important role in the justices' highly unusual reversal. That decision once again brought the administration face to face with the vexing legal, political and diplomatic questions about the fate of Guantánamo and the roughly 360 men still held there. "

http://www.myspace.com/susangetssomeplay

susan gets some play

Susan Gets Some Play--get your tickets now.

 Susan Gets Some Play in this summer's NYC Fringe Festival Presented by Stage Fright Productions Writer: Adam Szymkowicz Director: Moritz von Stuelpnagel Starring: Jorge Cordova, Kevin R. Free, Susan Louise O'Connor, Danny Deferrari & Travis York. Susan and her best friend Jay try to find Susan a boyfriend by holding auditions for an imaginary production in hopes of finding Mr. Right. Or at least a date. Or even just a freakin' kiss.

VENUE: The New School for Drama Theater at 151 Bank Street between West and Washington Streets in the West Village (around the corner from the Jane Street Theater, which is another Fringe venue). 

 

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

SAT 8/18 @ NOON- 1:20
http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&pl=&eventId=198010
SUN 8/19 @ 9:15-10:35
http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&pl=&eventId=198025
THUR 8/23 @ 4:45 – 6:05
http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&pl=&eventId=198027
FRI 8/24 @ 9-10:20
http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&pl=&eventId=198034
SUN 8/26 @ 1:45 – 3:05
http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&pl=&eventId=198036


http://www.fringenyc.org/basic_page.asp?ltr=s

wikipedia plays

http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=20077

Bush doesn't want poor children to have health insurance

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/18/AR2007071801434.html?hpid=topnews

oh, you

Do not ignore me please, I found your email somewhere (you don't need to know where) and now decided to write you. Let me know if you do not mind. If you want I can send you some pictures of me.
I am a nice pretty girl. I am coming to your town soon.  Can we meet up and maybe have ice cream?  I like pistachio.  Don't reply to this email. It is not my email but someone elses. Don't ask why I am using someone else's email. Email me direclty at Jimmycomtois@comtoisxxx.org

Thanks for the tunes, Dup!!

high school mix from Dup

cast and director from reading of Searching last night in LA

Back row: Terry Tocantins (President) Middle row: Inger Tudor (stage directions), Trevor Olsen (Hank), Rebecca Larsen (Sarah), Rich Pierrelouis (Jones) Front: Troy Blendell (Cheney/Barbara)


Gotta love that Theatre of Note!

Susan Gets Some Play in the Fringe

http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/fr_prevdetail.php?0=S&1=122

Lit Dept

Brilliant post by Malachy about the program he and i were in together among other things. A quote: "It's an openness that lead to more interesting conversation about the work and what it was than we currently get from the critics in most of the press where an aesthetic opinion is being pushed."

ars nova show

http://arsnovanyc.com/featured-run/

on genius

even more from patrick very interesting. my thought now is that one woman's genius is another woman's fool. i could name some people i think are geniuses. but would we all agree? maybe in hindsight. who is a genius alive right now? anyone?

link to a link

cool post here. artists take note.

URGENT IMMEDIATELY

Dear Friend,

I am the prince of a country you have never heard of.
I am very rich but I have some problem involving
politics I won't go into and you won't understand
because you are American and very gullible (and
ignorant).

Please send me your social security number. We are
looking for someone in America to give a lot of money
to. It is not illegal but we are not in America and
for some reason need to be for some reason.

Hurry. The fate of my country hangs in the balance.
I need to send you lots of money. What is your bank
account number?

Felicitations,

Please Hurry,

Ruler of Small But Rich Country

P.S. you like to purchase also some Viagra? or penny
stocks? they are going up. Just like the last one I
told you about.

____________________________________________________________________________________
Park yourself in front of a world of choices in alternative vehicles. Visit the Yahoo! Auto Green Center. http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center/

from last night

I had two readings in LA last night--two more tonight, see below--and these are the two casts from the readings of Herbie and Anne.



HERBIE:
Back row: Rich Pierrelouis, Monroe Makowsky, Bill Robens, Darrett Sanders
Front row: Kelsey Wedeen, Gina Garcia Sharp, Lisa Clifton, Pat McGowan




ANNE:
Back row: Lauren Letherer, Mandi Moss, Rebecca Larsen
Front row: Ron Morehouse, Steven Biggs

me at my desk

Ken Levine on Young Frankenstein

"Unless Barbra Streisand is playing Frau Blucher and the kids from SPRING AWAKENING appear and have real sex with YOU on stage, $450 seems excessive."

and tonight and tomorrow in LA

http://www.myspace.com/theatreofnote

reading in Chicago

http://browncouchtheatre.org/index2.htm

Reading in Columbus, OH

Reading in Columbus, OH

http://www.avltheatre.com/Shows/nwn.html

starting aug 3

What is "The Defenestration of Prague"? And how is it
seventeen steps removed from "Castration Anxiety"?
Wikipedia knows. In this brave new world of instant
gratification where the internet can live in your
pocket, one group of writers has created a
mini-marathon of short plays that surf the wikipedia
wave through seventeen related entries.

Written by Ars Nova's 2006-2007 Play Group Writers:
Mike Batistick, Evan Cabnet, Ron Fitzgerald, Liz
Flahive, Sam Forman, Etan Frankel, Kyle Jarrow, Nick
Jones, Barry Levey, Carly Mensch, Elizabeth
Meriwether, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Rachel Shukert, Mat
Smart, Aurin Squire, Adam Szymkowicz and Beau Willimon

Directed by: Evan Cabnet, Michael Goldfried, Maria
Goyanes, Meredith McDonough, Shira Milikowsky and
Moritz Von Stuelpnagel

the wikipedia plays

starting Aug 3

http://arsnovanyc.com/calendar/2007/08/

my friend Jodi on how to eat like a hot chick

http://www.myfoxboston.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox/Detail?contentId=3740336&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=5.2.1

charging theaters to read plays

This From Mark Harvey Levine. My version in the post
below this one.

Dear Theatre:

Attached please find my submission to your festival.
As you may or may not know, I charge $15 for
the opportunity to consider my plays for production.
I understand you charge $10 to submit for your
festival, which means if you would like to read my
play, you will owe me five dollars whether or not
you choose it.

Thanks so much.

P.S. Reading this cover letter just cost you $1.75.

Open Letter to Theater Companies Who Charge Fees

To Whom It May Concern:

Thank you for your invitation to send my script for
you to read and consider for production.
Unfortunately, I see you charge a submission fee. I
don't send scripts to theatres who charge fees. In
fact I have begun charging fees myself. You see
administrative costs being what they are, I can no
longer afford to continue to let people read my plays
for free.

Not only are things like paper and staples and
internet access expensive but the rising cost of
health care and my insane student loans from
playwriting school have made it impossible for me to
continue to offer my literature for free. I assure
you, however, that my work is of the highest quality.

I will be charging 20 dollars per page. Please let
me know what play(s) you would like to read and send
along your payment to the above address. (I also take
paypal) I will respond in a day or two with the
requested pages. If you find this is a play you want
to produce, (and I know you will) please contact me
for rights and I will consider if you are a producing
organization I wish to be associated with.

Thank you. I look forward to working with you.

Yours in solidarity and in the theatrical community,

Adam Szymkowicz